Online Pass Watch: Dead or Alive 5

Dead Or Alive 5 + Online Pass = Dead on Arrival (Epic Fail!)

It's time once again to check the counter on my choice top 11 games I hoped not to see have Online Pass. And it looks to show that we are about to have our first victim game to fall on the tally list under "Online Pass Games". The game in question this go around is none other than Dead Or Alive 5.

I'll come out and say this. I usually NEVER put a pre-order for ANY games, UNLESS it's a game/game series I'm really into. I've done it with Bioshock 2, I've done it with Lunar: Silver Star Harmony. I even have a current "unofficial" preorder for Doom 3: BFG Edition. So this might come as a shock to you all but I actually PRE-ORDERED DOA 5. I know! Shocking! Despite my fears that this game might get saddled with Online Pass, I decided to bite the bullet and put some cash down for this game.

And NOT because of the Gamestop's Bonus pre-order offer for bunny-style swimsuits unlock for Lei Fang and "some other girls". Honest. Really. I'm speaking the truth. Stop looking at me like that. I MEAN IT!

Personally I'm not really big for Pre-order bonus DLC. I'd rather wait for a re-release "GOTY" Edition to get ALL the DLC. But in this case I'm getting caught up in the pre-order bonus craze this go around. If only because I've missed out on previous DOA game releases (On both Xbox and Xbox 360), I wanted to make sure that I am ALL IN this go around. Sorry off topic there, where was I? Oh yes! The "rumors".

But as the release date slowly approached, I began to hear rumblings that DOA might go the way of Ninja Gaiden III. First it was rumored it would have Online Pass that would bar multiplayer modes, much like the recent Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and Mortal Kombat before it. Then I got word that leaderboards would actually be locked behind Online Pass (this nugget dropped by 1uper's Epic Greenman, thanks again mate!). I don't even know how THAT would work given how XBox Live has leaderboard integration with it's service. Either way things did not look good for DOA 5. Still I held out hope that these were just merely rumors and that perhaps TecmoKoei had learned their lesson with Ninja Gaiden III and would keep Online Pass out of DOA 5.

I ended up cancelling my pre-order. Much to the dismay to the Gamestop employee that had to cancel it and take a hit to his status quot. He did his best to get me to walk out of the store with DOA 5. "It's actually HERE, in the STORE." he said, fearing I was thinking they didn't have a copy for me. "No thank you." I said, "I just want to cancel my pre-order and get my money back. " When he asked why I wanted to cancel and I told him my reason, he didn't quite understand. "That's your reason?" he'd said. "Your buying it new. You GET the Online Pass with it. Your not missing out on anything or being asked to pay more. If anything your getting your pre-order bonus!" Regardless I explained my reason for not buying Online Pass games and insisted on my cancellation and money back.

In retrospect this was actually the first time I explained my stance on Online Pass to anyone.

Thirty minutes later, after haggling back and forth about how I can't get my money back/how I could move my pre-order to another game/get a gift card/talking to the store manager (the usual Gamestop schtick), I walked out of the store and ended up turning my back on a series I use to enjoy. It's a shame really. This game looked to be something special. Not only was it a type of "rebirth" for the series, it was having a little cross-over of sorts by having guest characters from the Virtual Fighter Series! It wasn't that big of a thing for me at first, but upon hearing Pai Chan was going to be in DOA 5! O_o

Pai Chan vs Lei Fang? Somebody pinch me!

This is almost the gaming equivilent of "Capcom vs SNK" moment we're talking about. Even though I've fallen behind a bit on Virtua Fighter (I still need to buy Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown) the Virtua Fighter series has been one of my favorite fighting games, beating out Tekken for me everytime! (Something of a contention in my household with "teh wife") And yet despite all of this, as far as I'm concerned DOA 5 is DOA for me. It's bad enough they are locking out multiplayer but also leaderboards? I guess they figure if your not playing online multiplayer then you don't need leaderboards either. I just wonder how they are going to pull that off with Xbox Live having leaderboards integrated in their service.

I was really looking forward to this game release. Previous DOA games didn't feel the need to lock out multiplayer or leaderboards. And I was hoping that DOA would continue in the long tradition of improving their game while not falling for the trappings that have befallen other fighting game releases like Street Fighter X Tekken, Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and Mortal Kombat. From the reviews it sounds like DOA 5 has done good for itself. Too bad they had to ruin it with Online Pass. Let's see if it's enough to to save the game like how Mortal Kombat was able to.

I guess we still have Persona 4 Arena to pin our hopes on, right?

Sorry if this "Online Pass Watch" sounds a bit like a rant. I meant to keep this short, like the first "Online Pass Watch". But I was actually ready to get into this game! One of a handful of games I kept my eye on after E3. I guess I learned my lesson. If anything it helped me remember why I don't reserve games at Gamestop anymore. So as it stands I'll have to chalk up DOA 5 into the "DO NOT BUY" list thanks to Online Pass.

For now.

Why for now you might ask? That's something I hope to go into more detail in November. In the meantime I'm going to use my DOA pre-order money to help fund another project I've been working on. Here's hoping Ninja Gaiden III: Razor's Edge doesn't follow the way of DOA 5. Guess I better not hold my breath.

Comments (5)

Huh

Thought they were just locking out stat tracking, thought that was a fair compromise. You know what you could spend that on instead though to send an anti online pass message? The Ratchet and Clank Collection. It includes Up Your Arsenal's online mode, but Sony didn't put their usual pass inside.

got lazy

I forgot to place the link where I heard that both multiplayer and leaderboards were to be locked behind online pass. I'll link here to if only to help give me practice.

Personally I'd like to hear from other gamers that bought this game new. I'm hearing some reports that your able to play online without the online pass code. Sadly no other game review sites have yet to write up anything on the online pass stipulations. I'm guessing since if they wanted to lock out leaderboards, they figured they might as well go one step further. Messed up either way. I still recall how DOA Ultimate Collection had Leaderboards/Online Play for free back in the day...

Ratchet and Clank Collection you say? No Online Pass you say? perhaps this could be a good time to dive in. I'll need to see what blows my way come this fall season...

Best way to let the publishers know

is with your wallet. Good job man! I did the same with Mass Effect 3 because I didn't like the who day one DLC content on the disk BS. Of course the game sold wonderfully and it didn't matter but I stood by my moral premesis which does matter.

send the message

I hear you on that one. sure people will say we are just punishing ourselves, I choose to see it as one less sale for a game that's decided to hold out on us. I too held off on ME3 and am glad I did. if not only for the dlc on disc or online pass (which like you said sold wonderfully) but because it saved me from having to endure the "ending" that didn't sit well with many gamers. stay strong fellow gamer.